
FT MEADE 
GenCo11 




























. LIBRARY OF CON6RES 

E 3 0 2, 

I ^ .W% : sB 9 

L ;'^“c tffz 

ji UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 






























































A MEMORIAL OF HENRY WISNER, 

• 7 


THE ONLY NEW YORKER WHO VOTED FOR THE DECLARATION 
OF ———— 



Henry Wisner’s grandfather was born in Switzer¬ 
land, and fought against Louis XIV., of France, in the 
allied army under the Prince of Orange, and after¬ 
wards under the Duke of Marlborough. When their 
warlike toils were done, Queen Anne undertook to pro¬ 
vide some of the foreign troops a home in the Colony 
of New York. Among the emigrants were Johannis 
Weesner, and his wife Elizabeth, and his son Hendrick. 
Another son, Adam, was born on the passage. 

The .poor emigrants encamped for some months on 
Governor’s Island. Then Johannis Weesner seems to 
have hired himself to labor on the farm of Christian 
Snedicor, of Hempstead, Long Island. Snedicor owned 
land on the Wawayanda Patent, in Orange County, and 
sent Weesner there to bring part of it into cultivation. 
By paying £30, Weesner became the owner of this back- 
woods farm on June 23, 1715. It is supposed that the 
situation is in the present town of Warwick, near Mount 
Eve, on the border of the Browned Lands . The district 
was called Florida as early as 1733. 

Johannis Weesner died a little before May 19, 1744. 
His children were Hendrick and Adam, Katharine wife 
of Thomas Blain, Ann wife of Philip King, and Mary. 


OVj 2. 

(H 

>> iv.- \?\r , 



E-30Z 

•6 

2 -uJ^B^ 

Hendrick Wisner married a New England woman, 
named Shaw, by whom he had Henry Wisner—born, 
probably about 1720—John, and one daughter. John 
Wisner was a captain in the French War and in the Revo¬ 
lution. His military career had a bad termination. He 
died near the end of 1778. 

Henry Wisner was a tall man; vigorous and erect, 
even in old age. Like his neighbors, he had little learn¬ 
ing, but had natural abilities and pleasing address, and 
was appointed Justice of the Peace. 

He married, probably about 1740, Sarah Norton, of 
Queens County, and received with her a farm there. He 
owned a few slaves and considerable land about Goshen. 
His house was a mile south of the village, on the Florida 
road. It was a stone house, but is no longer standing. 
It is said to have once entertained General Washington 
and Baron Steuben. 

Wisner was prominent in the boundary war between 
New Jersey and Orange County, and in 1754 it seems 
there was a company of Jerseymen formed to take him 
and Col. DeKay, “dead or alive. 77 

Wisner served in the New York Colonial Assembly, 
from 1759 to 1769. The only bill of any interest intro¬ 
duced by him was on December 12th, 1759, to enable 
himself, John Alsop, John Morin Scott, John Yan 
Courtlandt and Joseph Sacket, part proprietors of the 
patent of Wawayanda, to sell enough of the undivided 
land to obtain £1,500 to be applied in draining the 
Drowned Lands . They were an extensive cedar marsh, 
annually submerged by the rise of the Wallkill. Drain¬ 
age has since largely rendered them capable of cultiva¬ 
tion, to the profit and health of the inhabitants. 

In 1769, Henry Wisner and John Haring were candi¬ 
dates, but w r ere defeated by two Tories. They complain¬ 
ed of fraudulent practices, but finding the Assembly 
inclined against him, Wisner withdrew from the contest. 


3 


This legislature continued seven years, and was an 
unpatriotic body. It is supposed to be the last in the 
Colony of N. Y; but there really was another elected 
on February 1st, 1776 in New York City, and about 
the same time in the other counties. .Haring was one of 
the two members chosen in Orange County, and it is 
probable that Wisner was the other, but I have no special 
evidence of it. 

Wisner strenuously espoused the side of Colonial 
rights, and warmly opposed the pretensions of the Eng¬ 
lish Parliament. Rivington’s Tory paper (in 1781) put 
“old Wisner” among the “tyrants,” and “unfeeling male¬ 
factors,” of whom the Loyalists complained the highest. 

On August 15th, 1774, Orange County chose Wisner 
and Haring to attend the Continental Congress then 
about to be held in Philadelphia, to concert measures of 
resistance to British aggressions. The Congress began 
in Carpenter’s Hall, on September 5th, but Wisner did 
not take his seat in it until the 14th. 

This Congress is eulogized as a body of the highest 
patriotism by historians who are still deceived by the 
skillful measures taken to keep its dissensions secret. 
In fact, many of its members were inclined to Toryism. 
I have stated, in a Life of Simon Boerum , the reasons 
for believing that the Tory leader, Galloway, of Penn¬ 
sylvania. controlled at first six colonies—Pennsylvania, 
New Jersey, Delaware, North Carolina, South Carolina 
and New York. As Georgia was not represented, and 
Rhode Island was neutralized, the prospects were bad 
for the patriots. When Galloway introduced his plan of 
accommodation with Englaud, on September 28th, the 
New York delegation appears to have stood 5 for it (Low, 
Alsop, Jay, Duane, and Livingston), and 3 against it 
(Wisner, Floyd and Haring.) But, on October 1st, Boe¬ 
rum, of Kings County, came to the Congress and apparent¬ 
ly persuaded Philip Livingston to change sides, which de- 


4 


termined the vote of New York against Galloway, 5 to 
4, This was an event of vital importance, as Galloway 
was finally defeated, on October 22d, by a vote of six 
colonies to five. 

The other proceedings of this Congress belong to his¬ 
tory, rather than to the biography of Henry Wisner, as 
nothing is known of his part in them, except that he 
signed the petition to the King and the Articles of Asso¬ 
ciation. 

The New York delegation, in the second Continental 
Congress, was not chosen by the comities separately, but 
by a Provincial Convention, in New York City. To 
this Convention, Henry Wisner and Peter Clowes were 
unanimously elected, at the annual town meeting, held at 
Goshen, April 4th, 1775. 

By the Provincial Convention, on April 21st, 1775, 
Wisner was chosen one of the delegates to the second 
Continental Congress. The instructions given were “to 
concert and determine upon such measures as shall be 
judged most effectual for the preservation and re-estab¬ 
lishment of American rights and privileges, and for the 
restoration of harmony between Great Britian and the 
Colonies.’’ 

The second Continental Congress met in indepen¬ 
dence Hall, Philadelphia, on May 10th, 1775, but Wisner 
did not appear until the 15th. He was not a prominent 
member of this body, but took part in its patriotic 
measures, including the wonderfully fortunate selection 
of a Commander-in-Chief of the American armies. 

Wisner’s attention was early directed to a humble, 
but very important subject, of which, in a letter dated 
Philadelphia, December 21st, 1775, he writes. “Having, 
for many months, been sensibly affected with the great 
disadvantage the Colonies labor under for want of am¬ 
munition, I thought it my duty to apply myself to the 
attainment of those necessary arts of making saltpetre 


5 


and gunpowder, and having far exceeded my expecta¬ 
tions in both manufactures, I think myself further obliged 
to communicate the so much needed knowledge to i#y 
country at large.” After giving an account of the method 
by which gunpowder is made, he says: “I have lately 
erected a powder-mill in the south end of Ulster County, 
in the Colony of New York, at which I have made as good 
powder as I ever have seen.” He concludes “I there¬ 
fore most heartily recommend to the good people of this 
Continent, to enter into these necessary businesses with 
spirit, being well assured, that a greater quantity may 
with ease be made than will be needed for our consump¬ 
tion, even admitting the times to be worse than the 
threats of the British administration would lead us to 
expect. Any person inclining to build a powder-mill, 
will be shown a plan, with directions for the construction 
of all its parts, and utensils, by applying to their Very 
humble servant, Hexry Wisner.” 

By a letter to the New York Provincial Congress, 
dated, March 28th, 1776, it appears that Wisner was 
then in Goshen devoted to powder-making. The conclu¬ 
sion of it is, “As powder is an article that will take a 
considerable time to dry, especially at this time of the 
year, so that we shall have in the drying-house, at least 
2,000 weight all the time; in that case, query, whether 
there will not be danger of some Tory setting lire to it in 
the night, by firing the house j if so, query, whether it 
would not be right to keep a guard; if so, as the powder 
all belongs to the public, query, whether the expense 
ought not to be borne by the public. I should be glad 
of an answer by the first opportunity.” “P. S. If you 
should think proper to order a guard, I believe four men 
will be sufficient for that purpose. I hope you will ex¬ 
cuse this scrawl; I should have copied, but have only 
three half sheets more of paper, and do not know where 
to get the next.” 


6 


Henry Wisner gave up his powder-mill in Ulster 
County to his son, Major Henry Wisner, and erected two 
powder-mills in Orange Co , in May, 1776. It would not 
be interesting to give the amounts of powder delivered, 
and money received from the New York Provincial 
Congress, but the importance of Wisner’s services, in 
providing so essential an article of war, can be readily 
appreciated. He was otherwise serviceable to the pat¬ 
riotic cause, by having spears made and gun flints, and 
by repairing the roads in Orange County by which provis¬ 
ions and other necessaries were transported to the 
American army. He also attended to collecting lead 
and to the manufacture of salt, and to fortifying the 
Hudson River against the passage of British vessels. 

On June 8th, 1776, Wisner was at the Continental Con¬ 
gress, and his name, with others, was then signed to a 
letter to the New York Provincial Congress, seeking- 
direction from that body how to vote on the expected 
question of American'Independence. It is an impor¬ 
tant point in this letter, that it says “ some of us consider 
ourselves as bound, by our instructions, not to vote on 
that question.” Hence, other some considered themselves 
at liberty to so vote. However, the New York Provin¬ 
cial Congress replied that it had given no authority to 
declare the Colony independent of the crown of Great 
Britain, and this decided the New York delegates to 
refrain from voting, as appears by a letter dated July 
2d, 1776, and signed by George Clinton, Henry Wisner, 
John Alsop, William Floyd and Francis Lewis. It is 
probable that this letter was written by Wisner, as he 
sent it to the New York Provincial Congress with a note 
of his own, saying, “Since writing the enclosed, the 
question of Independence has been put in Congress, and 
carried in the affirmative, without one dissenting vote.” 
This means that no Colony voted against it, but that on 
July 2d, twelve Colonies acting for thirteen, resolved 


that the United Colonies are free and independent 
States. This then is the genuine national birth-day. 

Afterwards, it appears by the joint letter of July 
2d, there was doubt among the New York delegates, 
whether their Colony was bound by the act of the 
Majority, and whether they ought to vote on all such 
questions as might arise in consequence of Independence, 
or only to vote for measures of absolute necessity for 
the common safety. This doubt was removed by the 
unanimous ratification of Independence, by the New York 
Provincial Congress, on July 9th, 1776. But in the mean¬ 
time the Declaration of Independence, prepared for 
presentation to the world, was adopted by the Continen¬ 
tal Congress; first in committee of the whole, and then 
in ordinary session July 4th. Now we have the neglected 
testimony of the intelligent and honorable Thomas 
McKean, a Delaware member present on July 4th, that 
Henry Wisner voted for Independence. It is contain¬ 
ed in four letters, one dated September 26th, 1796, and 
printed in Sanderson’s Biography, another, dated August 
22, 1813, and lithographed in Brotherhead’s Book of 
the Signers, a third, dated January, 1814. and printed 
in Yol., X of John Adams’ works, and a fourth, dated 
June 16th, 1817, and printed in the appendix to Christo¬ 
pher Marshall’s Diary. 

The bold and patriotic character of George Clinton, 
the father of the Revolution in New York, renders it 
probable that he also voted for Independence, but I have 
found no special evidence of it. 

It is discreditable that there is no monument or other 
record bearing the names of the voters of Independence. 
The so-called signers of the Declaration are members of 
the Congress after August 2d, who were required to thus 
commit themselves to the cause. On July 4th about 
twelve of them were not at the Congress, and two, and 
probably more of them, refused to vote for Independ- 


8 


ence. These fourteen gentlemen have had immortality 
given them by the carelessness of history, to the ex¬ 
clusion of Henry Wisner who better deserves it. 

Wisner’s duties called him to New York (? July 12th) 
before the Declaration of Independence was engrossed on 
parchment and ready for signing, but he continued an un¬ 
attending member of the Continental Congress until May 
13th, 1777, when a new delegation was elected by New 
York. The compensation received was four dollars for 
for every day of absence from home. 

The compilers of the New York Civil List, confused 
by the identity of names of father and son, omit the fact 
that Henry Wisner, Sr., was ever a member of the New 
York Provincial Congress. He took his seat on July 
23d, 1776, and continued to the end, May 13th, 1777. 
On August 1st, 1776, Wisner was appointed on a commit¬ 
tee to frame a Plan of Government for the State of New 
York. They reported the first New York Constitution 
on March 12th, 1777, and their work was debated till 
finally adopted, on April 20th. John Jay sought to 
make the Constitution as objectionable as possible to the 
Roman Catholics, and Wisner supported him. 

Under the Constitution, the State was divided into 
five Senatorial Districts, and the Middle District, com¬ 
prising the counties of Orange, Ulster and Duchess, was 
represented by Henrj^ Wisner in the State Senate, from 
1777 to 1782. 

In 1779 Henry Wisner lost his younger son, Lieuten¬ 
ant-Colonel Gabriel Wisner, in the battle of Minisink. 
His fate was long unknown, but there is an interesting, 
though curiously unindignant, account in Stone’s Life of 
Brant, how that savage tomahawked him after the battle. 
Gabriel Wisner had married Elizabeth Waters, and his 
elder brother, Henry Wisner, Jr., married Sarah Waters. 
Henry Wisner, Sr., had three daughters—Elizabeth, wife 
of John Denton; Mary, wife of Phineas Helmes ; and 
Sarah, wife of Moses Phillips. 


9 


After the triumphant close of the Revolution, the 
only public service of Henry Wisner was in the New 
York Constitutional Convention of 1788, which ratified 
the U. S. Constitution. But Wisner voted in the nega¬ 
tive with oilier staunch patriots, who feared that a strong 
federal government would overpower State and individ¬ 
ual rights. 

Wisner’s death was a little before September 14th, 
1790 (probate of will). This great patriot appears to 
have been given no stone to preserve the memory of his 
resting place. There is an uncertain tradition that he 
was buried oil his own farm near the house, and that his 
widow (who survived him 13 years), was laid beside 
him. 


FRANKLIN BURDGE, 

325 West 57th St., N. Y. 


30th September, 1878. 








































• • 














* 



/ 



* 


/ 


♦ 


























































\ 


























A A 0, A A A A A A A A . 1 "^ 'V/V v ■ a « A A « AA/SlA 




































































































